Fighting the Heart
by Mrs.JohnReese
Summary: Growing up, I was always the cautious one. Shy, withdrawn, and never one for large crowds; you could say I fared better alone than in the social circles of the world. Unbeknownst to me, however, all of that would come crashing down with my sister's wedding. With the man who came with it. And with the brewing unrest that her union would invoke in the vampire world. GarrettXOC
1. Retrospective Glance

Six years ago, if you had asked me where I saw myself at the age I am now…where I thought I would be…I would have been likely to say in college. Maybe with a boyfriend. Definitely a few close friends…family. I would tell you that I would be studying my ass off to become a lawyer, or a doctor. I would be living in Arizona with my mom, my sister, and my stepdad. Probably still working at the diner down the road from our new house, where everyone liked to gather on Friday nights to watch whatever sporting event happened to be on at the time. I would be working nearly full time and trying to balance studies and fun with all of that…after all, you have to make ends meet somehow, right?

I would tell you all of these things…I would recognize the utter simplicity of it all…and I would be happy that this was my life. An occasionally mundane, sometimes chaotic, _human _life would have been all it took to make me deliriously happy. The rush of the big city, easy enough to ignore at our ranch home out in the desert; coupled with the scattered method that my mother had of organizing our life suited me just fine. It would have been way better than what we used to have back in Washington, anyway.

I could remember spending summers there in my late elementary school days, through junior high; and being bored out of my mind. Wasting every ounce of the break from school just…sitting…was enough to drive you insane. Constant rain storms made doing anything other than plopping down on the couch in front of the television almost impossible. And even with a father who was more than happy to entertain his two young daughters with frozen dinners and fishing trips…

I was bored.

But now? Now that I was back in the same town I had been born in…the same town that had been my worst nightmare as a teenager…I couldn't help but feel like _this_ was where I had been meant to be all along. For all of its mundane redundancy, Forks was everything to me now. Everything that I never could have dreamed of wanting. Everything I would have worked so hard to avoid. Until now.

Blinking as I felt a cool hand squeezing my own, I forced myself back to the present then; the alarm that my thoughts had taken mere seconds to flit through, despite how I felt they should have taken longer washing over me as I regained my focus on what I should have been thinking about all along. My family. No, not the one that I had originally dreamed of…not the one I would have ever found myself wanting; had I been permitted the luxury of planning it all out in advance…but the one that now mattered more to me than anything else in the world.

Doing my best to maintain focus on the moment at hand, rather than allowing myself to get lost in my thoughts; I squared my shoulders, meeting the determined gaze of my sister as she stood a few steps ahead, and using my hand to absently return the squeeze that had been intended as a calming gesture as my eyes turned to look up at the one who had changed everything without ever meaning to. Astonishment still overtook me at how I had found the very thing I never believed in just a few short months prior to this moment…after all, I had always been one to believe that we made our own path. That nature had no possible way of setting things out for us. But the man standing next to me, his pose more strained than mine, if that were even possible, constantly served to prove me wrong. I had never been one for believing in 'fate' or 'soul mates.' But now, as I stood beside my mate…yes, _my _mate…with the rest of my family spread out around me; and the center of my world standing, with my sister, just in front of me…I knew differently.

I knew fate had a plan. That I was now destined to live _this_ life, just as much as any of the others gathered around me; despite my initial hesitation. Despite my initial doubts. And looking ahead, at the seemingly insurmountable force that was approaching us I knew…

I knew I would sooner be dead than let anyone, or anything take this from me. Not when every fiber in my being was screaming at me to guard what was mine.

Shifting slightly in an attempt to get closer to the one we all most desired to protect, I let out a faint growl as I felt Garrett's hand tighten once again around my own; pulling me back. The warning look in his eyes told me exactly how he felt about me being here to begin with; especially after being so newly…'created', for lack of a better word. But hell would freeze over before I stayed secluded while my family was potentially destroyed.

Newborn or not…I would protect what was mine.

….

**Hello there! For those of you who followed my previous foray into this fandom, you'll probably think I'm insane for reposting. I had originally removed the story due to lack of motivation for it…but seeing our darling Lee Pace in Desolation of Smaug rather reversed that lack of motivation. So here I am, giving this a go again. I should probably warn you now, (for those of you who aren't familiar with the previous posting of the story) that I tend to steer clear of making it Bella-centric; given that Stephanie Meyer has already done that for us. **_**This**_** particular version won't 'ignore' Bella, per se…but I'm centering it around my OC and her relation to her sister and the others in hopes of getting another arc on the story!**

**That being said I'd like to open up the floor to comments/questions here! Any comment, in favor of, or opposed to the story will be heard and appreciated! And I thank you all for taking the time to give this little guy a chance!**

**Until next time (we hope)…**

**MJR**


	2. Collision

Bright morning sunlight poured into my bedroom through the slits in the blinds; streaming over my bed and landing on my face, causing me to groan and tug the covers back over my head. I had been unable to sleep for most of the night, anxiety weighing heavy on my mind as I allowed thoughts of what was about to happen today to take over. Today, my sister was getting married. And while that fact alone may not have been enough to make someone nervous, once you added in _who_ she would be marrying…well you could say that the nervousness skyrocketed.

It wasn't that I didn't like Edward. I trusted him with my sister's safety to the utmost degree. He and his family had taken me in, just as they had Bella; and the two of us had, in all honesty, never been happier, or safer. But that didn't stop me from feeling a faint pang of regret and sadness over the fact that my sister would no longer be sleeping in the bedroom down the hall from my own. That she would no longer feel compelled to come to me for late night talks. That she would soon become immortal; while I remained human.

That if she was changed while they were gone on her honeymoon…today may very well be the last day I saw her for quite some time.

As I remained, curled in a ball underneath the bed-sheets, I tried my best to shove aside the sadness at losing my best friend…my confidante, of eighteen years. She would be happy with Edward. I knew that without a doubt. But that didn't stop my hesitation over giving her up…over watching her become ageless, while I withered before her eyes. We had talked about this, countless times before today; of course. About how during the first few months…maybe even years…of her change, it wouldn't be safe for her to be around me. About how I really had no desire to become immortal; the pain Carlisle had described to me that came as a part of becoming a newborn vampire still causing tremors to wrack through me just from thinking about it.

No, I would remain mortal. I would grow old, just like the rest of the humans on the earth. That had to be better than enduring the fire spreading through my veins once bitten, right?

A knock at my door startled me out of my reverie, and I let out one last, drawn out moan at being forced out of my bed; before padding across the bare wooden floors to pull the door open. I had to bite back a laugh at the absolutely horrified look on Alice's face then, as she stared at my disheveled and quite obviously unprepared appearance for a minute; before flitting into the room and darting over to the closet where my dress was in hiding.

"I told you…_both_ of you…that you needed sleep" She grumbled, rummaging through the assorted clothes until she reached what she was looking for. As she pulled the light purple gown out of its hiding place and turned to face me; I caught the hint of her rolling her eyes before she pressed on "You two are so much alike, it's impossible."

"Well we _are_ related" I quipped, offering my soon-to-be sister a grin as I took the filmy fabric from her outstretched arms.

"And your disregard for the rules of fashion proves that" She joked, placing a hand on my shoulder as she made to leave the room "Get cleaned up, put this on and meet us in Bella's room for your hair."

Nodding my agreement, I slipped into the bathroom; taking a moment to glance at my reflection in the mirror, before quickly doing a one-eighty, and turning on the faucet to allow the water to warm up. I carefully placed my dress over top of the sink, far away from any running water source before I dropped my pajamas to the floor and climbed into the warm spray with a sigh. Allowing the water to soak my body thoroughly; I did my best to force my thoughts of the future away, instead choosing to focus on the present.

After all, how often was it that your sister got married to a vampire?

…

Leaning my head back and shutting my eyes, I allowed myself to relax for a moment as Rosalie wound my dark hair into an intricate braid that parted off to the side, and curved over my left shoulder. The sound of Alice's humming, coupled with the feel of Rose's capable fingers weaving through my hair served as a sort of balm for my frayed nerves; and I couldn't help but smile as I heard my sister's foot tapping anxiously on the ground. Clearly she hadn't been as easily calmed as I had been.

"Relax, Bells" I said, sliding my foot over until I felt it nudge hers gently "You're going to be fine."

"Easy for you to say" She replied, her voice shaking just a bit and belying her worry "You're not the one about to trip and fall on her face in front of God and everybody."

"True" I acknowledged, feeling a small hint of a smile tug at the corner of my mouth as I finished "But let's face it, I'm probably going to be close enough to you that when you trip; it'll turn into a domino effect, and I'll go down too."

"Neither one of you is going to trip" Alice interrupted, her voice firm despite the smile I could hear in her tone "Now take a look at your hair and tell us what you think."

As if on cue, Bella and I opened our eyes at the same time; our gazes fixing on each other first, before simultaneously turning to the mirror before us. Bringing up a hand to pat at my braid tentatively, I felt a smile coming to my lips as I turned to face my sister. For all of the protests I had put on at being forced to allow Alice and Rose to have their way with my hair; I was rather impressed with the results…and I could tell that Bella was likewise impressed with her own appearance, as I caught her turning to face me.

"You look great" She whispered, a fleeting smile passing over her face before she cast her eyes downward towards her lap. Getting up from my chair and taking a few steps in her direction, I crouched down as best I could while trying to avoid wrinkling my dress; placing both my hands on the arms of her chair as I said:

"Bella, look at me. You've been waiting for this…for Edward…for a long time now. And this may sound odd, coming from me; but…but I think that you two are…are _meant_ to be together. You've endured so much, and come out stronger for it, in the end. And that has to mean something."

Her brown eyes flicked to mine in seconds, the uncertainty clearly mirrored in them as she bit her lower lip before replying.

"You…you're sure?"

"Of course I'm sure" I said, reaching over to squeeze her hand as I tried to fight back against a tear threatening to break loose "Now let's go get you married, okay? Before Dad changes his mind and decides not to give you up after all."

Relief flooded through me as I saw the look of trepidation in my sister's eyes turn into a look of determination; and I took her hand eagerly as she rose from her seat, helping Alice adjust the skirt of her dress before leading her towards the hallway, and out to our father's waiting car.

Today, for better or worse, my sister was about to meet her fate. And I would be with her, every step of the way; if I could.

…

After the ceremony, I found myself an almost constant resident on the dance floor; my aversion to making a show of myself somehow going unnoticed as I was passed from my new brother in law, to Jasper, and finally to Emmett as the music blared on. Despite my embarrassment over my quite obvious lack of technique, I found that I was actually enjoying this…another breathless laugh escaping my lips as Emmett dipped me down towards the floor once again as he attempted to teach me the finer arts of swing dancing.

"Don't you think…_ow_…Rose would be a better partner for you, with this type of thing?" I asked, my only answer from him coming in the form of being whirled around in a circle as I yelped in surprise; before he set me back down and took a step back.

"Rose seems to be occupied with the other guests at the moment" He replied, stepping closer to drag me back into the dance as he went on "Besides, how else am I supposed to embarrass my little sister?"

"I thought you would you know…reserve the embarrassing behavior for Bella" I grumbled half-heartedly; a smile escaping as I heard Emmett's next words.

"You're a part of this family too, Elena" He said, stopping once again in favor of pulling me into a bear hug "And that gives me all the right in the world to harass you."

"Good to know" I quipped, ducking out of his embrace to avoid having him muss my hair as Carlisle and Esme approached. Smiling at the doctor, I leaned forward to give Esme a hug; pulling back just as the blond vampire spoke.

"Elena, have you seen your sister?"

Looking around briefly, I bit my lower lip as I turned back to face Carlisle; a frown forming as I replied in the negative.

"No, actually I haven't. Last I saw her, she was with Jacob."

The doctor's brow furrowed for a moment, but in an instant, his face was once again calm and collected; barely a hint of concern in his voice as he turned to address Emmett.

"Perhaps you should go check on them?"

Before Emmett could reply, however, I stepped forward; ignoring his restraining hand as I said:

"I can go. I wouldn't mind saying hello to Jake anyway."

A brief nod of assent from Carlisle was all I needed to begin making my way towards the edge of the woods where I had seen my sister and our old friend disappear; only turning around part way as I heard Esme call out.

"Be careful, Elena."

I could hear the concern in her voice; worry that Jake's…sensitivity…regarding my sister's marriage might make him volatile and dangerous evident in her tone. But I knew better. I knew that he would never hurt myself, or my sister; no matter what. So I offered the woman who had become like a second mother to me a reassuring smile; before turning my attention to the forest path at my feet, and heading off to see what was taking my sister so long. As I picked through the fallen twigs and leaves, careful not to allow them to snag my dress; I found myself traveling ever deeper into the woods at the back of the Cullen home, never once expecting to run into anything other than my sister and Jake. Never once thinking that something else was in these woods…something far more important than I could ever have known.

The sound of raised voices nearby soon had me altering my course; following the sounds of Jake's apparent shock as I wound deeper amongst the trees. Before I could reach my intended goal, however; I found myself colliding, hard, with a cool object that sent me tumbling to the forest floor. Shaking my head and silently chastising myself for focusing my attention on the ground instead of on the path ahead, I let out a huff as I turned my eyes upward; my heart all but stopping in my chest as I took in the sight before me.

The man I had collided with was beautiful, feral, and dangerous all at once; the dark hair that hung around his face accentuating the now familiar paleness that I had come to associate with my new family. He was tall, I realized then…even from my position on the ground, I could tell that he would easily tower over me when standing…and I caught his eyes widening for the briefest of moments; his entire body freezing as he realized that the thing he had just collided with was a human. His abrupt attempt at chivalry by offering a hand to help me up went unnoticed, however; as I registered one key difference between _this_ vampire, and the ones that I had come to love. His eyes were not the familiar, warm honey-gold that I was so accustomed to.

_His eyes…were red._

…

**Well there you have it! As promised, a longer second chapter! I didn't honestly think I'd be posting two chapters in one day…but I guess the bunnies have other ideas, right? **

**Big thank yous go out to Wilhelm Wigworthy, jk, Juliet, Crystal-Wolf-Guardian-967, and guest for your reviews! I can't wait to see what everyone thinks of this chapter!**

**Thank you all once again for taking the time to read this! Hope it meets up with your expectations!**

**~MJR~**


	3. Like Moth to Flame

Blinking up at the man before me, I tried unsuccessfully to hide my panic as several things clicked into place in my mind. For starters, red eyes meant only one thing. _This_ vampire obtained sustenance from humans. Humans like me. For another, he was still resolutely holding his hand out to me in an attempt to help me up from my position on the forest floor. But the look in his eyes made it increasingly difficult for me to determine if he were doing so out of kindness; or as a method for drawing me to him so I could not escape.

And three…with as quietly as he had appeared in front of me, I had reason enough to suspect that no one else would have taken notice of his presence in the forest. Which meant I was, irrevocably, and completely…alone.

In short, avoiding panic…wasn't going to happen.

As carefully as I could manage, given the situation, I began to slowly scoot myself backwards away from him; freezing on the spot as he knelt down so that he was only slightly higher above ground than I was. I could practically hear my heart hammering out its erratic pattern of beats as I sat there, motionless; my teeth immediately beginning to worry my lower lip as I saw him reach his hand out towards me yet again…

"Relax, little one" He said then, his voice alone sending a shiver rolling down my spine…whether from fear or intrigue, I couldn't tell "I won't hurt you."

Somehow managing to arch an eyebrow, I made to open my mouth…only to close it again as no sound came out. I couldn't even move when I noticed his hand reaching forward to envelop mine in a cool grip; my heart all but jumping into my throat as I felt him gently tug at my arm to pull me to my feet. I stumbled slightly as I attempted to adjust to not only being pulled upright, but also to the strange feeling of…connection…I felt with my hand in his own…and I found myself letting a tiny exhalation of breath escape as I watched him turn my hand so that the palm faced up towards him; his free hand coming up to trail his fingertips lightly against the underside of my wrist.

The simple touch of his fingers against my skin caused me to tense; every cell in my body torn between leaning into that touch, and running for the hills. In an effort to avoid the conflicting sensations this stranger was causing; I made to back away from him, lifting my hand slightly to free it from his grasp without causing undue alarm. Instead of releasing me, however, a small rumble issued from his throat; his hand tightening slightly around my wrist as he pulled me in towards him, his other hand moving up of its own accord to cup my cheek.

Before I could stop it, a small whimper tore itself from my throat, and I caught what looked to be a flicker of concern crossing the stranger's eyes; before the hand that was currently grazing against my cheek dropped down to rest at the junction of my neck and shoulders. Swallowing hard, I squeezed my eyes shut as I heard him speak yet again; his voice taking on an almost soothing quality as he asked:

"What is your name, little one?"

Shaking my head minutely, I fought to control my breathing; every nerve in my body aware of exactly how close he was…aware of exactly how little it would take to make a wrong move and end all of this now. For all of his gentleness thus far, I still couldn't shake the nagging fear in the back of my mind that he was only doing what he was made to do…namely, luring in his prey until they had no chance of escaping him. After all, hadn't Edward warned my sister against the very same thing when they had first met? What indication did I have that this situation would be any different? Especially given my captor's…apparent preference in meal sources.

Lost in my thoughts as I was, I never noticed the rush of sound that accompanied a low growl coming from somewhere to my left; and I found myself jumping in shock as I was yanked away from the stranger and thrust behind a solid, cool frame. Blinking once against the sudden feeling of being torn away from something I didn't want to leave; I forced my thoughts back to the present, relief and dread coiling in the pit of my stomach simultaneously as I recognized the back of Edward's tux. The hard growl I had heard while he approached was still emanating from him as he blocked me as best he could; and I saw the stranger's red eyes narrowing as he tensed slightly, both hands held out before him even though he too had crouched down as though preparing to attack.

I barely had time to realize that I couldn't see Bella anywhere in the nearby vicinity; before I felt a warm arm circle around my waist from behind; dragging me backwards as Edward turned to look in my direction for a fraction of a second.

"Get her out of here."

The order was low…strained…and I found myself swallowing once again; not entirely sure why I was resisting the arm that was trying to get me out of what could only end poorly, as I planted my feet in the ground and shook my head.

"C'mon, Elena" I heard Jacob say from behind me, his arm tightening around my waist as he began to attempt pulling me backwards once again. Against my better judgment, I held my ground, though; moving my hands down to shove at his arm as I tried to shake him off. Despite all of my fear over this encounter…despite how frightening the stranger was to me…something in me refused to leave his side; especially given the hostility I could feel rolling off of my brother-in-law, and Jacob too, for that matter. I certainly couldn't explain what was making me remain rooted to the spot; when I knew that the smart thing to do would be to run. But I knew somehow, that I couldn't leave. Not now.

My eyes met the stranger's for a fraction of a second then, my blood all but freezing in my veins when I saw them darken as Jacob's grip on me tightened. Furrowing my eyebrows, I turned my head back so that I could look at my closest friend; doing my best to ignore the fierce look of determination in his brown eyes as I spoke up for the first time since I had met the red-eyed stranger.

"Jake…Jake, let go of me" My voice came out in a whisper, cracking a little in the middle of the sentence and belying my uncertainty. It was all I could do not to let out a hysterical laugh at the look of incredulity he gave me as what I was requesting sank in…but I held my ground as I saw him shaking his head; something instinctual telling me that if I didn't get him to let me go, all hell would break loose.

"Jake…_please_" I begged, my attention soon garnered by movement out of the corner of my eye. The stranger had apparently tried to get around Edward by shifting slightly to the left…a fact that had not gone unnoticed; as evidenced by Edward's own swift movement to block me from view once again as he hissed:

"_Jacob!_"

My entire body tensed as I felt Jake begin tugging at my waist again; apprehension rolling through me as the newcomer spoke, his voice tight, like he was only holding onto control by a thread.

"I think the lady asked you to let her go" He said, his eyes fixed on Jacob, despite Edward's presence in front of us. He flicked his gaze down to meet mine for a moment, then; and I tried my best to hide the panic I was feeling to avoid adding to the tension…an attempt that quickly became futile as I heard Jake reply.

"Right, so that you can what; make her your next meal? Not likely."

Resisting the urge to elbow Jacob in the gut for his risky comment; I opened my mouth to make an attempt at diffusing the situation, only to fall silent as I heard Carlisle's voice coming towards us from the direction of the wedding party.

"You're late, Garrett" He said, offering a welcoming smile at the red-eyed vampire as he stepped into the small clearing; ignoring both Edward and Jacob's look of utter revulsion as he reached out a hand to shake that of his apparent friend "But I see you've managed to make an entrance; like usual."

"What can I say?" Garrett replied, his eyes still locked on my own "Old habits die hard."

Carlisle spared me a glance then, sending me a reassuring smile before returning his attention to his old friend as he said "Walk with me?"

A hesitant look crossed Garrett's face as Carlisle's hand came to rest on his arm; but he opted to follow after the blond vampire after only a moment's pause, leaving Edward, Jacob, and myself in silence in the clearing behind them as they traveled deeper into the forest. Letting out the breath I hadn't even been aware that I was holding; I rolled my shoulders experimentally to ease the tension that was so prominent in my body as Edward turned to face me once he was certain the stranger…_Garrett_…was not about to return.

"Let's get you back to the party" He said, his voice still strained as he reached a hand out to place on my shoulder "Bella's probably worried sick."

Offering him a slight nod, I fell into step beside him; my gaze locked on the forest floor ahead of me as I allowed my mind to wander. What on earth had just happened? What was the reason for Garrett's arrival? How did Carlisle know him? Why was he so interested in me? And why on earth did I feel this strange…pull…to be near him, even now? What could possibly explain the fierce urge I felt to turn around and go back into the forest to find him; when he had just scared me half to death?

"Heads up, El" Jake said then, giving me a small nudge as we broke free of the trees on the edge of the Cullen's property. Looking up from my daze just in time, I barely had time to register Bella flying towards me; her arms circling around my neck as we collided. I let out a strained laugh as I returned her embrace; hearing matching sounds from Jake and Edward behind me as we finally pulled apart.

"What was that all about?" She asked me, concern evident in her eyes as she took a step backwards just as Edward moved forward to loop an arm around her waist "And who was that?"

"I…I'm not sure" I replied, shifting slightly on my feet and taking note of the way Edward's jaw clenched as he stared into the forest with a dark expression. Ignoring him as best I could, despite my curiosity over what exactly had caused his apparent irritation; I fell into step beside Bella as we began walking back toward the other guests before I went on "But he's apparently an old friend of Carlisle's."

"Yeah, right" Jake cut in, a low laugh escaping him as he went on "If you consider someone who tries to eat your adopted daughter a friend."

"_Jake_" I groaned, this time not hesitating to elbow him in the stomach before turning to see Bella staring at me; her eyes wide with shock "He didn't try to eat me, per se; Bells."

"Came close" Jacob muttered under his breath, dodging out of the way as I made to swat at him once more; all thought of further discussion soon dying down as Phil approached us, with Mom in tow. Doing my best to relax so that neither one of them would pick up on any of the events that had just occurred; I offered them both the closest thing to a smile I could muster, breathing a sigh of relief as Mom spoke.

"Bella, honey, we should get you ready to go" She said, looping an arm around her newlywed daughter's neck to pull her into a hug; before releasing her and turning to do the same to Edward "Wouldn't want to miss the flight to your own honeymoon."

My sister's eyes flew wide then, flicking over to me as she found herself being ushered in towards the house by Alice; who had just appeared at her side, and was currently bouncing on the balls of her feet in her excitement. Throwing a fleeting smile Jake's way, I made to follow her; hurrying to catch up as Alice wasted no time in persuading our mother to stay outside with the rest of the guests.

"El and I can take it from here, Renee" She was saying; the look she gave me suggesting she was aware of something I was not "Go be with Phil. We'll make sure Bella says goodbye before she leaves."

As if on cue, Edward began escorting her back to the crowd, and I offered her a small wave; before letting out a small yelp of surprise as I felt myself being tugged towards the house after Alice, an almost conspiratorial grin on her features as she pushed both my sister and myself up the stairs to finish packing. By the time we had ascended the stairs, I took note of how Bella's expression had gone from forced calm to panic; and I found myself biting back shock as she turned to me and said:

"Listen, El…Edward and I don't have to go if you'd feel more comfortable with…"

"Stop" I interrupted her; reaching out to grab her hand and squeeze gently as I realized where she was going with this. She was talking calling off the moment she had dreamed of for the past years…cancelling it because a minor problem had thrown itself in our paths. But despite how I almost found myself almost _wanting_ her to stay behind; if nothing else than to have someone to help sift through whatever my encounter with Garrett meant…I knew that I couldn't deny her the one thing she had dreamt of for so long. Shaking my head and ignoring how her mouth had opened to protest, I cut her off before she could begin.

"You're going" I finished, my voice firm, regardless of how nervous I felt on the inside "I'll be fine."

"She will be" Alice chimed in, zipping the duffel Bella would be taking with her on the plane and walking over to join us by the closet "More than fine."

The look in her eyes must have given Bella the encouragement she needed…because after a few moments of quiet contemplation; she was heaving a sigh and leaning down to reach for the duffel bag, both of us jumping in surprise as we heard Edward speak from the doorway.

"Elena if you need anything…"

"She'll call, and you'll be on the first flight back" Alice supplied; rolling her eyes at Edward's exasperated expression before herding Bella towards the door, while I trailed close behind. Fighting not to let my confusion and apprehension take over; I made my way out to bid my sister farewell, completely unaware that the hug she gave me before allowing Edward to guide her to the car would be the final embrace we would share before our entire world was turned upside down.

This…this was only the beginning.

….

**Greetings, my lovelies! Here we have it! Another chapter! I do hope you enjoy what I put out here…I'm really excited to get back to where I left off before taking the entire thing down; so you may have to deal with somewhat frequent updates…could you ever forgive me?**

**But anyway, on to the chapter…what did you think? Like it? Hate it?**

**Please let me know in a review! As always, thank you all for reading, and I'll see ya next time!**

**~MJR~**


	4. Something They Won't Tell

"So who _is_ he?" I pestered, trailing after Alice as we meandered from the kitchen to the spacious living area; sparing Esme a smile of acknowledgement before lighting into Alice again. She had only barely persuaded me to let her be long enough to change into something more comfortable than the dress I had worn for most of the day; but now that I rested securely in an old t-shirt of Charlie's, and my sweats, I was not letting her off the hook that easily. I was going to persist until she at least gave me _something_... "How long has Carlisle known him? Where's he from?"

For her part, my sister in law seemed perfectly content to leave me hanging; her insistent silence as she pursued the act of tidying up any last remnants of the wedding party that had occurred _inside_ the house causing me to let out a rather childish huff. There had been something self-assured and almost smug about her features since discovering the events that had transpired in the forest before Bella's departure…and even though I was still every bit as unnerved by that encounter as before, there was a greater part of me that all but demanded to know what was going on. What did she have up her sleeve…

"He's an old friend Carlisle came across at Yorktown" Esme piped up then; a peal of laughter leaving her at Alice's attempt to shush her before she elaborated "The two of them hit it off right away; in spite of his apparent…differences in meal choices."

"Y-Yorktown…" I stammered; padding over to take the proffered seat beside the vampire who had become like my second mother, and dragging a hand through my hair absently as I mulled this bit of information over. _Yorktown_. Intrigue over the newcomer's origins…his timeline…slowly began to trickle through me; overwhelming my initial fear at his presence as the gears in my mind started working properly…or at least more so than they had been before, my voice coming out hushed as I looked to Esme again.

"So he…he was in the War?"

"Of course" came Esme's reply; her knowing smile indicating she followed _exactly_ what I was thinking. My new family knew well the seemingly insatiable thirst I had for history. They had witnessed first-hand through my unending questions about their lives before being changed, that while initially cautious in my interactions with them; I could be down-right stubborn when it came to learning everything I could about times long past. And from the slight twinkle to Esme's golden eyes, she _knew_.

She knew there was a part of me, in spite of my fears, that was all but determined to get an account of just about every single battle in the span of the Revolutionary War from this unexpected stranger. That particular part of history had been the one bit of my inquiries that had yet to be satisfied; given the relative lack of experience my new family had in its occurrence. And now I had the perfect avenue for my curiosity.

That is, provided I could actually summon enough courage to _talk _to him…

I was never any good with strangers…my time with the Cullens had brought me slowly out of my shell to a degree; but there was always that initial bout of hesitance…of caution that I was unable to let go of no matter what. It was frustrating, to say the least, to have curiosity warring with some sort of stubborn self-preservation instinct that I was unable to shake. But before I was permitted to let that frustration truly take hold, I found myself starting back to reality with a jolt, the feel of Alice's cool hand on my shoulder bringing me out of my thoughts with startling precision as she spoke.

"El, I think you should go upstairs."

"What?"

"I…I want to talk about something with Esme."

Furrowing my eyebrows at her sudden desire to get me out of the way; I looked to my second mother with some amount of shock, noting how her features mirrored that feeling as I stood from my seat and stepped towards the stairs.

"I assume this has to do with something I'm not allowed to know?"

Resisting the urge to laugh at Alice's answering eye-roll, I placed my hand on her shoulder as I made to pass; squeezing slightly as I quipped "Exactly _when_ are you going to stop treating me like a porcelain doll?"

"Probably never…" She replied; softening her almost strained expression for the briefest of moments before nudging me gently towards the stairs "_Go_, Elena. You'll figure everything out in time."

Sighing, I did as requested; mind racing a million miles a minute as I ascended the stairs and made to head into the guest room. I knew I needed to trust her. That she had never been wrong about anything before. But still, even as her words rang in my mind as I shut the door to my impromptu bedroom behind me; I couldn't help but think:

_She had better be right about me eventually figuring things out…_

…

_(Garrett's POV)_

"You're certain…" I heard Carlisle's voice coming towards me through the clutter of thoughts running rampant in my mind; choosing to shake myself just enough to give him a look that might convince him I had been paying attention this entire time as I nodded.

"I am. _Nothing _I've experienced has ever been this strong before."

My old friend shook his head then, dragging a pale hand through blonde hair as he turned to face me from where he stood a few feet away from the small river that ran at the back of his property.

"There hasn't been an incident like this in _centuries_, Garrett. Mates are…_true _mates are a rarity now. Especially among the human race."

"Believe me, I'm every bit as shocked as you" I replied; keen eyes staring out at the vast expanse of forest that spread beyond the river's opposite shore in an attempt at forcing myself to shake the urge I had to get back to my old friend's home. In light of what I had just inadvertently stumbled upon, it was hard to stomach the near-pain that knifed through me at the distance between myself and the one thing I had never hoped to find in all my days. But I had to resist. Anything less than that would only frighten her further.

I knew, of course, that if she was of our kind, this would be simpler. A mere discussion of what had transpired just hours earlier in the forest would serve as sufficient enough to establish a bond. To recognize the inevitable pull we would feel for each other for the rest of eternity. But the woman that was to be mine was _human_. She would not know of the legends…of the reasoning behind why I was practically compelled to remain at her side; instead of remaining even a small distance away. She would not comprehend the unbelievable amount of strength it would take for her to resist such a force herself…

_Would she ever understand?_

The feeling of Carlisle's hand squeezing my shoulder forced my thoughts at least temporarily back to the present as I took note of his hesitant smile; and I was unable to miss the fleeting look of understanding that passed through his gaze as he turned from me in favor of facing the river once again before speaking.

"You're going to want to ease her into it" He said; the skill with which he seemed to guess my train of thought stunning a laugh out of me as he elaborated "She's cautious. Shy. She's barely come to terms with Bella's decision as it is."

"I couldn't force her" I cut in, astonishment coloring my tone at the hidden implication in his words. While I knew that every cell in my body would demand nothing less than to make Elena mine completely; I also knew that it was not within my power to push her into something that would change her life forever. That same legend that spoke of the compulsion a mate would have to be by their partner's side also alluded to the impossibility of denying their other half's happiness. And I knew then, that if Elena were to be happy _without _me in her life; I would see to it that she had just that.

Even though I suspected such a thing might be my undoing…

"Garrett, I'm not saying that you would" Carlisle cut in then; taking a step closer to me and managing a faint smile on my behalf "All I'm trying to do is warn you that you'll need to be _patient_. It might take her some time to come around to this whole thing. But that doesn't mean you should give up."

I found myself laughing at the sudden suggestion that it was even _possible _for me to do such a thing; shaking my head as I flicked my eyes back towards the direction of the house for a moment before replying:

"You seem to have forgotten how stubborn I can be, old friend…"

….

_(Elena's POV)_

Flopping onto my back for what seemed like the millionth time, I heaved a sigh; my eyes unwillingly flitting to the digital clock on the dresser beside me as I all but gave up on the notion of sleep. It had been _four hours_ since I had followed Alice's instructions and headed upstairs; taking the only real option I had at distracting myself, and sinking down onto the bed for some rest…and I had been successful for maybe half an hour, if that. But soon, my sleeping thoughts turned to the stranger I had just encountered…to my curiosity over who, exactly, he was…forcing me awake with a jolt; and rendering any further rest impossible.

Try though I might, I couldn't seem to drag my mind away from him, my heart doing a funny little lurch every time I recalled the way he had kept his eyes fixed on me throughout the entire encounter in the forest at the back of Carlisle's home. Honestly, I found it both alluring, _and_ unnerving. In his eyes, I had seen a promise of protection; unrelenting and irrevocable. Permanent. In spite of every single misgiving my frantic brain could come up with, I couldn't help but feel a strange sensation of warmth spread through my body at the thought of having such a person…someone that would be by my side no matter what. And it frightened me that I couldn't seem to shake the almost forceful desire to seek him out again…to watch him drinking me in with those eyes, even though I knew that their red tint marked him as a predator. That one wrong move would have rendered me a _meal_, not a human being.

So why was I not running for the hills? Clearly, my life might end up depending on it…

_Clearly, I was insane…_

Throwing the covers back with a groan, I hauled myself out of bed; trying to be as quiet as I could while I edged over to the open window at the opposite end of the room. A cool breeze wafted across my skin as I drew near; causing me to draw my arms up around my midsection as I shivered and inhaled deeply. I could smell the sharp scent of pines and the somewhat softer hint of lingering lilac…a remnant of the flowers Alice had insisted upon hanging on just about every tree branch and guest chair. And it was all I could do to avoid reaching for the cell phone on top of the desk nearby in that moment, my desire to call Jacob…my best friend…falling flat as I contemplated exactly what stood to happen if I disclosed my intrigue over the new vampire in our midst.

He was already so sensitive about Bella. About what stood to happen to her in the very near future. I couldn't possibly expect him to tolerate my inexplicable desire to learn more about any vampire; let alone one who obtained strength from _human _blood. Could I?

Sighing in resignation, I padded over to the walk-in closet that Alice had laden with clothes, shoes, and other various wardrobe essentials; plucking through the hanging shirts and dresses that I was not likely to ever actually wear in search of my spring jacket. Always before, a short walk in the forest by my own home at night had calmed me if I had reason to be anxious. Whether due to an impending exam, or some minor discord with Bella; something about the quiet darkness in the trees had an almost soothing effect on me. I could only hope it would have the same effect now…Lord knew I needed _something_ to clear my head…

Wrapping the jacket around my shoulders, I toed on my casual sandals near the bedroom door then; easing it open in hopes of being fortunate enough for none of my new family to hear a thing, and edging out towards the stair case. I had just managed to clear the landing, and was in the process of thanking my lucky stars that it seemed I had the entire lower floor of the home to myself; when a flicker of motion caught the corner of my eye, a belated groan leaving me before I could stop it as Carlisle appeared with the handsome stranger from before around the corner leading to the foyer.

"Elena? Is everything alright?" The blonde vampire asked; his eyes projecting his concern as I instinctively shrank back from the duo just a bit before stammering my reply.

_My nervousness must have been obvious, then…_

"I…of course, I just…" I began; shaking my head minutely and clearing my throat once before I turned my eyes towards the ground "I was just going for a walk…"

"In the dark?"

Fighting a shiver at the unexpected allure Garrett's voice held for me; I bit my lower lip and nodded, forcing my eyes up to meet his as I managed a half-grin.

"I do it all the time."

"Carlisle…"

Sensing his friend's apparent unease with my idea for relaxation; the blonde vampire held out a hand to halt any further discussion on the matter, frowning a bit as he looked at me and took a step forward.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Elena" He began; shaking his head when he saw my mouth open to protest "Some of our guests are still in the area, hunting. I wouldn't want any of them to get too-"

"Carried away" I supplied; noting how Garrett had tensed at my understanding of what might happen, should I get in the way of some of the less-well controlled members of the wedding party before Carlisle was pulling my attention to him yet again.

"More or less, yes. I think it would be best if you stayed inside for the night."

Nodding, I shrugged the jacket from my shoulders; trying and failing to avoid how my eyes seemed to drag towards Garrett as though compelled as I draped the thing over my shoulder and made to turn and head back upstairs. Before my foot could fully land on the first step, however, I found my attention once again diverted back to the two vampires that had halted my progress; Carlisle's voice still laced with concern as he said:

"Elena are you _sure_ you're alright?"

Forcing a smile, I turned where I was to face him; this time succeeding in holding my eyes away from the man who intrigued me more than was prudent as I replied.

"Of course. I'm just…a bit keyed up from the wedding; that's all."

Managing one last smile for both men who seemed to hold so much concern over my well-being; I climbed the stairs to the second floor slowly, trying and failing to shake the resignation and concomitant trepidation from my body and mind as I nudged my bedroom door open and stepped inside. Tossing the jacket across the chair beside the door; I took the remaining distance between myself and the bed at a sluggish pace, hoping in vain that I might soon be able to turn my mind off from its constant whirring. I knew that sleep would not come to me…not while I still held thoughts of Garrett in my mind…and, screwing my eyes up in frustration, I prayed silently for my anxiety to just ebb away into the darkness of the room I resided in.

_If only it were that simple…_

…

**Hello! And welcome to the next chapter for Elena and Garrett! I did something a little differently here, namely giving a shot for getting both their POVs in the same chapter…something that I hope will give more clarity to what is really going on with them going forward. That being said, if it made the chapter too jumpy, or conversely if it worked really well, PLEASE let me know! I can either avoid doing both POVs in future, or continue. Whichever you prefer!**

**Huge thanks go out to everyone who keeps reviewing and telling me how much they like the story! You guys make my day! Hopefully this chapter meets with your expectations…and I trust you'll tell me the answer to that question in a review!**

**Thank you SO very much for taking the time to read and comment! **

**Until the next time…**

**MJR**


	5. Confrontation Looming

(_Elena's POV_)

I awoke early the next morning, still exhausted from the night preceding; one hand coming up to drag through my hair as I forced myself out of bed. Since I had been so effectively shut down from my attempts at clearing my head by Carlisle and the source of my confusion; I had been unable to do anything other than toss and turn for what seemed like ages, only finding sleep out of sheer exhaustion as the first sounds of birds stirring in the early morning reached my ears. That being said, when my sluggish body decided to wake me again, after barely two hours of consecutive rest; I found myself suppressing a latent wave of irritation, my recollection that I had promised to let Alice take me shopping before my return to Charlie's later this evening causing my stomach to coil with dread.

_I was too tired for this…_

Dragging myself over to the bathroom, I opted for leaving the lights off; reaching through the shower curtain to turn the faucet on as warm as it would go before slowly…painstakingly stripping down to my skin and clambering inside. A small part of me wanted nothing more than to pop downstairs to tell Alice today's outing would be a no-go. But, knowing my new sister as I did, I was forced to admit that all of my protests would fall on deaf ears…

I was stuck.

Sighing as the water from the shower head blasted over my back and shoulders; I tipped my head into the spray, clamping my eyes shut as the warmth ran over my body and eased away the tension in my muscles. As much as every part of me protested against it, I knew I would have to give Alice this one thing…the one thing she could do in a last ditch attempt at distracting me from my constant worrying over Bella. And so it was that I settled for cleaning myself up for the day ahead; doing as best I could to wake myself up as much as possible.

_Perhaps I could convince Carlisle to let me use the as yet untried coffee maker…_

…

(_Garrett's POV_)

"Dude, did you catch _any_ of that?"

Shaking myself, I reluctantly forced my attention back to the burly vampire seated across the kitchen table from me; raising an eyebrow in mock intrigue as I replied:

"Any of what?"

Emmett snorted then, shaking his head in what was all too likely a combination of amusement and chagrin; one large fist colliding with my shoulder in good-mannered camaraderie as he retorted:

"I'm taking that as a no."

"Let him be, Emmett" Esme chided then; her sudden presence in the kitchen causing me to jump belatedly as she stepped forward and placed a hand on my shoulder in reassurance "He has every right to be distracted."

"Right, just because he thinks El's his _girlfriend_ now…"

"Mate" I corrected absently; rolling my eyes at Emmett's answering snort as I spared a brief smile of gratitude for the woman that had taken me in without hesitation after discovering exactly what had happened between myself and the younger of the two Swan sisters. In spite of her apparent affection and motherly instinct towards Elena; Esme had been surprisingly more understanding than I could ever really have anticipated. She knew me from nothing, really; save for any stories Carlisle may have given her to explain my origin. And yet she had trusted me in spite of that, even offering me an understanding smile as my attention was once again diverted by sounds of familiar footsteps heading our way. I knew it was her…_Elena_…even before she reached the threshold of the door…her scent of lilac and something perhaps a bit sweeter reaching me and sending my mind into over-drive when she finally came into view.

_My God if she wasn't beautiful…_

Her hair was tied back in a loose ponytail; small strands already breaking free and curling around the curve of her cheek as she came to a stop in seconds upon noting my presence. A part of me was aware, given the faint widening of her eyes, and the flush to her cheek, that she was perhaps a bit uncomfortable with my intent observation of her appearance…but try though I might, I could not find it within myself to look away; that is until another rough punch to my shoulder startled me back into some semblance of awareness, and I was forced to look back at Emmett with a faint scowl.

"I assume you have a reason for that?"

"You're staring."

Opening my mouth to retort, I was all but ready to tell Emmett to mind his own business; my reply dying in my throat almost as soon as it had come when I heard my mate speak.

"I don't suppose I could use the coffee machine…"

"Of course" Esme replied; sending me a smile of understanding as she took in the expression of frozen wonder on my features before stepping between me and the object of my admiration, likely in an effort to give me some amount of time to compose myself as she reached for the aforementioned contraption sitting beside the kitchen sink "You'll have to read the instructions on how to use it though…"

"Shouldn't be too hard" Elena replied with a laugh…a noise that sent small shivers of anticipation rolling through me even in spite of my attempt at remaining nonchalant so as to avoid frightening her "Charlie was persuaded to buy a similar one a few weeks ago."

"Persuaded?" Emmett piped in then; getting up from his seat with a scrape and moving to lean against the counter opposite her "I'm sure you had nothing to do with _that_…"

"The old one kept leaking" Elena retorted; a smile on her lips as she reached over to nudge Emmett's side "Why waste good coffee?"

"Why _need _the coffee in the first place?"

"Look, _you_ try staying up half the night studying for a science test and then see how you feel."

"I do that anyway, El…"

Holding in my laughter at how affronted my tiny mate looked; standing beside Emmett only accentuating her smaller stature as she turned her attention back to the task at hand, I was forced to admit that for a human, she fit remarkably well amongst this family. Her banter with Emmett, while still giving me minor flares of that nasty green monster that I had never quite acknowledged before, was obviously that of a sister with a brother…a fact made obvious when she turned back to face him after filling the pot with water; her lips turning up in a mischievous smile that would have set my heart to racing, were it still beating within my chest as she retorted:

"Well we can't _all _be big, burly he-man vampires, now can we?"

Watching as Emmett arched an eyebrow, I took note of how Esme had hidden her own laughter behind her hand; the two of us sharing a look of amusement before a shriek pierced the air as Emmett opted for scooping Elena up and shifting her until she dangled over his shoulder.

"Alright, El, looks like you've earned yourself a little swim in the river" He chuckled; ignoring my mate's struggles from over his shoulder as he began carrying her towards the sliding door at the back of the home. In spite of my amusement at how she had so clearly walked herself right into this mess, however; I was unable to hold the instinctive desire to protect at bay, the more sensible part of my mind silently chastising my irrationality as I was up from my chair in an instant, and standing before Emmett in the next.

"Bad idea, Emmett" I said; doing my best to ignore the way my eyes had drifted for a split second to Elena's rear as I shook myself back to the present, only to have Emmett's snort reach my ears.

"Oh? And why is that?"

His expression in that moment made it obvious that he was trying to back me into the corner of admitting exactly how important Elena was to me…and although a part of me wanted nothing more than to let that truth out in the open…as much as I felt compelled to claim her _now_ before anything could take her away from me, I knew that I had to bide my time. I could not tell her now…not without risking losing her forever. And so it was that I shook my head at Emmett then; noting his expectant expression as I opted for another method of getting him to let my mate down on her feet again.

"What if she can't swim?"

"I can swim just _fine_, thank you very much" Elena's disgruntled voice reached me then; her laughter that she was trying so hard to hide showing in her tone. I could sense her smile, even though I could not see it…and it was all I could do to avoid remaining before Emmett, speechless, as I cleared my throat once before meeting his curious gaze once again.

"Well the water's probably cold."

"Even better" Emmett quipped; moving to step around me, and frowning when I barred his path "Dude, seriously…"

"Put her down, Emmett" Carlisle's voice reached us then; causing me to turn my attention towards my old friend with no short supply of gratitude as Emmett was forced to comply. Managing a faint smile of appreciation for the blonde vampire as he passed, I soon found my attention turned back to Elena as she straightened her shirt, my hand immediately snapping out to steady her as she swayed a little on her feet; likely an effect of being suspended upside down in Emmett's arms. Hazel eyes met mine in seconds at the unexpected contact; her cheeks once again flushing a deeper shade of crimson as she unconsciously leaned into my touch. It was all I could do in that moment to avoid pulling her to my chest, and never letting go…but almost as soon as I had contemplated acting on my desires, Elena was wrenching away from my hand; her eyes darting over to meet Alice's as she appeared in the kitchen behind her.

"You ready to go, El?"

"Yeah, I…I just have to get some coffee…"

"Well hurry _up_, silly. The mall won't stay open all day…"

Sparing one last look at me…a look that sent fire racing through my veins, Elena managed a faint smile; returning her attention to filling a travel mug with the drink she had been so intent upon, and turning on a heel to follow Alice out towards the foyer. Already, I could feel the faint twinges of anxiety upon our impending separation. And as I watched her go, I couldn't help but wonder…

How would _she _fare with this? Would she even feel it at all?

…

(_Elena's POV_)

"Alice, I don't really think this is necessary" I protested; struggling to maintain a grip on the many bags in my arms that signified the spoils of our trip as I hurried to keep up with the overly enthusiastic vampire in front of me "I mean, when exactly am I going to _wear_ all of this?"

"Every day, Elena, that's what we're _buying _it for."

Sighing at the no-nonsense tone in her voice, I was forced to admit that I _had _enjoyed this outing to a degree, in spite of how foolish I must have looked traipsing back to the car with my arms laden as they were…it had given me time away from my thoughts of Garrett. Providing a distraction from how my mind seemed almost determined to linger on him and our every fleeting interaction; our little excursion had served as ample opportunity for me to focus on other things, for a change. And though I still could not explain the occasional surges of longing that stole through me if my mind _did _happen to wander back towards the intriguing stranger now residing in the Cullens' home; I had to admit…

I was grateful for the change in scenery, no matter how much I didn't understand the need for brand new outfits at Alice's every whim.

Rendered completely distracted by my own thoughts, and how they had now seemed to wander, once again, back to Garrett…to how intently he had observed me this morning in the kitchen…and to how I was unable to deny the sensation of warmth at his touch; I found myself jolted back to reality with a start, narrowly avoiding a collision with Alice's back as she came to an unexpected stop before me.

Moving to step around her, I was unable to miss the look that had come over her face…a look that I recognized at once as the effect of her gift. Waiting the obligatory few moments as whatever it was she was seeing played out in her mind; I fought back equal measures of concern and intrigue as I raised a hand to rest on her shoulder.

"Alice?"

Shaking herself, my sister blinked a few times before finally fixing her attention back on me; her eyes holding something that made my blood freeze in my veins as she replied:

"We've got to get you home."

She was moving around me in a flash then; unlocking the car door and tossing her own bags inside while I stood there, stunned…my mind trying and failing to catch up with what was going on as I meekly followed suit. It wasn't until I had secured my new clothes in the back seat, and taken up residence in the passenger seat beside her that I finally found the wherewithal to speak; my voice cracking a bit in my anxiety as I said:

"What is it? Is it something with Charlie? Bella?"

Fighting back apprehension as Alice floored the accelerator and we squealed out of the parking spot; I did my best to wait as patiently as I could for her answer, my mouth only barely opening in my attempt at entreating her again to tell me what on earth was going on as she finally spoke.

"Jake's just told Charlie about Garrett" She said; sparing a concern-ridden glance my way before returning her attention to the road as we peeled out onto the main highway "I have no idea _what _he said; but whatever it is prompted your dad to leave for our place in a hurry."

Speechless upon hearing her words, I could only force myself to lean backwards in the seat; squeezing my eyes shut as I fought against the cold dread that was taking over. I knew, of course, that Jake would not have been thrilled with the encounter in the forest. If I were to be honest with myself, it probably shouldn't have surprised me that he _had _gone to Charlie; especially after not hearing from me in the wake of such an event. But even that knowledge still did not make the all too real fact that my father was in all likelihood now speeding towards the Cullens'…towards a confrontation that he would not understand…that _I_ didn't even understand any easier to take; my heart speeding up incrementally as we raced towards the inevitable.

I didn't know how my father would react to whatever Jake had told him. To what Garrett may or may not have to say for himself. I didn't even know how the man in question would respond to the all too likely attack that was to come from an overprotective father that had already given up one of his daughters faster than he would have liked. But what I did know…in spite of how none of this made sense…

Was that, if I knew Charlie as well as I thought, he was not about to take kindly to Garrett's presence in my life.

…

**Well hello there! And welcome to another chapter! I have to admit, I let this little guy run away from me as I was typing it. Original plans that I had sort of got trumped here, and I'm not entirely sure why…blame it on the bunnies? Lol**

**At any rate, I do want to open the floor as I always do to your comments! I want to get it out there that, being that this chapter sort of took me by surprise, it may not be of the best quality (what can I say, I doubt my work all the time). And I also want to add that, if this **_**is**_** the case, and I've turned out mediocre product, please, PLEASE let me know. If the chapter is fine, then I'll be thrilled, of course. But if it isn't I want to know so I can fix it! Honesty is best!**

**That being said, I want to thank you all, once again, for taking the time to read this story and give it your feedback! It always brightens my day to see review notifications in my inbox! SO thank you for that!**

**Until next time?**

**MJR**


	6. Trusting a Wolf

_(Elena's POV)_

After Alice pulled into the drive of her home, I barely wasted time shutting the door to the car behind me; before I was bolting up the front steps and skidding through the door. Stopping for a moment in an attempt to discern where, exactly, my father might be; I found myself bringing a hand up to rest against my throat, forcing myself to fight back nausea and the strange sensation of my heart skipping a few beats as I listened quietly. Strangely enough, I heard nothing that indicated any sort of commotion the likes of which I had been dreading the entire way here; and it was with a coiled sense of dread taking root in the bottom of my stomach that I stole through the hallway until I reached the living room, my heart once again taking on that obnoxious little flutter it did every time I even so much as _thought _of Garrett as I caught Esme's wary gaze watching me as I entered the room.

"Where are they?"

"In the backyard" She replied; knowing exactly who I was referring to judging by the understanding look of concern in her eyes when she added "Jacob is with them."

Letting out an exasperated huff at the ill-timed interference of my old friend, I managed a nod of acknowledgement for Esme's sake, before sweeping past and heading towards the sliding door leading to the patio beyond. Somewhere, amidst the din of panic in my mind I heard Alice hurrying along behind me, trying to dissuade me from leaving the house. But I was having none of that. Not when everything was as close to falling apart as it was…

My _god_ I was going to kill Jake…

Pressing forward, I forced myself past the strange sensation of constriction in my chest; hurrying down the patio steps and taking the distance between myself and where I now saw the small grouping at the edge of the trees lining the back of Carlisle's property at a sprint. I couldn't help but notice how Garrett's eyes almost immediately flicked to mine as I approached…and, doing my best to avoid acknowledging how the uncertainty in them threatened to tear me apart, I jogged up towards my father; flinching as he all but rounded on me as he spoke.

"Why didn't you call me?"

"Dad, I…call you about what?" I began; ignoring the flicker of dread that rolled through me at how absolutely worried he appeared as I awaited his reply. Of course I was aware that even the slightest inclination of a threat to his other daughter, especially after he had just relinquished his hold on his oldest, would not go over well. But that still didn't stop me from feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt as I saw how clearly this situation was affecting him; my throat constricting just a bit in my apprehension and unease as he finally replied:

"You _know_ what, El…"

"Dad, I'm fine, honest."

"Right, sure you are."

"Dad!"

"Charlie, if I may?" Carlisle interjected then; reaching out to place a hand on my father's shoulder as he simultaneously spared me a look of understanding and encouragement "Maybe it would be better if you took Elena home to talk about this."

Opening my mouth to protest the imminent separation from Garrett in that moment, even though my mind tried and failed at least half a dozen times to understand it; I found myself cut off in an instant, my eyes narrowing up at Jake in suspicion as he came to stand beside Charlie with his hand upon his shoulder.

"I'll take her home if you need to leave for your shift."

Eyes widening as I realized what had just transpired…as I somehow sensed that the prospect of Jacob taking me home, alone, was the furthest thing from safe at this time in particular, I shook my head with as much conviction as I could muster; forcing myself to step between my father and Jake as I argued:

"Dad, _really_, I'm fine here…"

"Go home with him, Elena" Charlie interrupted then; reaching out belatedly to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, and using the opportunity to duck down to place a kiss against my forehead "He said Sue's been dying to see you, anyways."

"He's taking me to La Push?" I pressed; flabbergasted at the audacity of my so-called best friend's obvious plan to get me to the one place where Garrett could not follow as I took a hesitant step backwards "I…Dad, I…"

"I'll pick you up after my shift, El. Promise. Just go with Jacob for now, alright?"

Doing my best to ignore the latent dread creeping through me in spite of my recognition of the unveiled plea in my dad's voice; I managed a weak nod, watching in stunned silence as Charlie reached forward to squeeze my shoulder before turning to head back for his cruiser. I could sense his relief at my impending separation from what he could only have perceived as a threat…but try though I might to acknowledge the legitimacy of his fear, that did not stop me from wrenching my arm away from Jake's grasp almost as soon as I registered it, my eyes narrowing up at him as he looked down on me in what could only be described as shock.

"I need to go get my things…"

"Already done" He replied; the poorly masked look of self-satisfaction in his eyes making my stomach turn as I let out a huff and turned to make my way towards where I expected to find his father's old car. In the spot where it _should _have been, however, I noticed with dawning comprehension that he had arrived on his motorcycle…my eyes rolling in instinctive exasperation as I turned on a heel to fix him with the best glare I could manage.

"_Really_?"

"Hop on, El."

Only barely holding in my groan of frustration, I spared one final look at the gathering of vampires behind us; noting with an almost painful stab of regret the way Garrett was watching us as though torn between simply letting us go, and pulling me back to him…and I was unable to deny the smallest part of my mind that was almost inclined to _let _him take me away from Jacob in that moment; my eyes meeting his in a shared look of something I couldn't quite fathom before I was turning away once again, ignoring the smirk that was so evident in my friend's tone as he said:

"Hold on tight…"

…

The ride to La Push was spent in silence, in part because of the loud humming of the bike's engine; but largely out of my desire to give my friend no doubts in his mind as to my growing irritation with his actions. Obviously I recognized that he was likely only acting out of a desire to keep me safe. And I appreciated that desire, without a doubt. What I did _not _care for, however, was the way he was so clearly trying to interfere in my life…in Bella's life…beyond how he really should have. Voicing concern…offering protection was one thing. But to actively seek to separate us from the very people who had taken such good care of us for _years_, now, was out of line. At least from my perspective…

Upon realizing that we had arrived at Billy's place, I barely gave Jake the requisite time to put the bike in park before I was scrambling off; tugging the helmet away from my head and dragging a hand through my hair to attempt making it at least half-way presentable as I turned to reach for my bag. I recognized, by the familiar truck parked next to us; that Sue was likely already here, waiting for us. But that did not stop me from tugging my hand away from Jacob's yet again as he sought to prevent me from simply taking my things and heading inside; my voice perhaps a bit harsher than it really should have been as I spoke.

"What the _hell _were you thinking, Jake?" I demanded; noting with some sense of satisfaction the way his face blanched at my apparent irritation before pressing forward "Did you even think, just for one second to _ask _me if I was uncomfortable with him before running off to Charlie?"

"He scared the _crap _outta you, El" Jacob protested; setting his own helmet down on the seat of his bike and stepping around until he stood before me "I only wanted to…"

"To what? Give Charlie yet another thing to worry about unnecessarily?"

"To keep you safe! He's a _killer_, Elena, or did you miss the color of his eyes?"

"I noticed that already, thanks" I spat; shaking my head at how readily Jacob was jumping to the conclusion that Garrett was a bad seed "I'm not blind."

"Then why on earth are you so upset?"

"Seriously? You really have to ask that…"

"Hey! Hey, what's going on here?"

Freezing at the sudden appearance of not only Sue Clearwater, but Leah and Seth as well; I took a step away from Jacob then, letting out a frustrated sigh as the older woman approached and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Elena, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, Sue…"

"Yeah right."

Eyes flicking to Jake's once again as I took note of his blatant lack of comprehension as to where my frustration was coming from; I stepped to the side of Sue, ignoring her restraining hand as I hissed:

"_Seriously_, Jacob, if you don't _shut up_…"

"Alright, alright, take it easy!" Sue intoned then; grabbing hold of my hand as gently as she could and tugging me back towards her as she addressed Jacob "Why don't you and Seth go work on a car or something?"

It was obvious that heeding her instructions was the last thing Jacob wanted to do…I could read that easily in the way he kept looking at me as though afraid of what I would do should he leave my side. But something in him seemed to think better of pressing his continued presence further; his dark eyes lingering upon mine for a moment before he was turning and taking off towards the garage at a sprint. I barely had time to return Seth's overly enthusiastic hug before he too was taking off after Jacob…and it was with a sense of mixed dread and relief that I turned to face Sue as she squeezed my hand in encouragement while simultaneously tugging me behind her up the steps and into Billy's home.

"So…care to tell me what _that _was all about?"

…

_(Garrett's POV)_

"Garrett, you can't follow her. The treaty-"

"I don't give a damn about any treaty, Carlisle, she's not _safe _with them!"

"You'd be surprised…"

Biting back my impending retort…a retort that I knew my old friend never in a million years deserved, I settled for plunking down on the chair beside him in his study; my nerves coiling and uncoiling and twisting around themselves all at the same time as I rested my head in my hands. Caught between wanting nothing more than to have Elena by my side, and knowing that if I were to act on such a desire, I would unravel an agreement that Carlisle and his coven had worked so hard to protect; I found myself with nothing to do but acknowledge that I _could _do nothing. Elena was in the care of _werewolves_, of all things, one of which seemed to desire nothing more than to keep us apart for good. And though I was unable to deny the distinct feeling that, were Carlisle not involved in this, there would be nothing that would stop me from taking her back, I knew…

I could only wait. Wait, and pray that my mate was, at some point, returned to me.

_I did not know what would become of me if we were separated for very long…_

"She will be _fine_" Carlisle asserted then; the weight of his hand squeezing my shoulder startling me back into some semblance of awareness of my surroundings in an instant as he pressed on "She's with people who love her as much as we do, my friend."

"But if something happens to her…"

"It won't" My friend interrupted; managing a smile of encouragement for my sake as he stood and moved around my chair to stand beside the window overlooking the side of his property "You have yet to see the pack Jacob belongs to in action. It's…incredible."

A low snort of intrigue escaped me as I forced my eyes to turn to his as he observed my reaction to this revelation; the fact that his assertion had done nothing to calm my nerves evident as I rose to my feet and strode towards him.

"Incredible enough to take on the Volturi?"

"Garrett, you have no way of knowing that they will follow you here. That they will even _remember _your transgression among the numerous others they encounter every day."

"Caius will remember" I argued; latent fear and dread threatening to paralyze me as I contemplated the innate danger my disagreement with one of the three leaders of vampire law and order placed Elena in, without her even being aware of it. True, I already knew that she was subject to the Volturi's judgment by her blatant mortality combined with her knowledge of our kind. But to risk having Caius learn of my ties with her…that would place her in greater danger still.

"He does not forget those who give him trouble. Nor does he forgive."

I heard, rather than saw Carlisle reach out to place his hand once more upon my shoulder then; unable to resist giving in to the urge to flinch at the sudden contact as it once again jolted me out of my thoughts, and it was all I could do to remain focused on _him_, rather than permitting my thoughts to travel once again to Elena as he spoke.

"And if he becomes a problem, we will deal with it then."

Forcing a nod of acknowledgement, I managed to give my old friend as sincere a smile of gratitude as I could muster; my eyes following his out to the trees beyond the window we stood at as I once again fell prey to my thoughts. For now, I would have to trust that Elena _would_ be safe in her current company. I would have to believe that my friend of so many years would not willingly place something so important to me in danger, should he have knowledge of any threat to her, or ourselves. But in spite of all of that, I could not help but wonder…

_Could _I keep Elena safe, should the worst happen? Would Carlisle and his coven help, if my past were to catch up with me?

_Could I ask them to make the ultimate sacrifice to prevent the loss of one so important?_

…

**Hello! And welcome to the next chapter in our story! I want to apologize that it is somewhat shorter than those that have preceded it…but my other stories have taken to clamoring for my attention today as well; and in an attempt to make all of the muses happy, I decided to leave this here, for now. Hopefully that isn't a problem?**

**What I was going for here, was to show both POV's again in an attempt to keep up with how both characters are dealing with the new situation they've found themselves in. Elena, of course, is curious, yet hesitant. And Garrett…well I won't go too much into detail until the time is right to reveal exactly what his connection with Caius is. (Yes, I am evil.)**

**At any rate, as always, I want to thank each of you for taking the time to read this story! Your constant feedback is so very appreciated! And I hope that you all continue to enjoy where I'm taking this. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this one!**

**Until next time…**

**MJR**


	7. Side Effect

It was raining by the time Jake and Seth came back into the house; both of them drenched, laughing, and seemingly forgetting everything that had transpired at the beginning of our time together. The mood seemed to have immediately lightened in that moment, what with the brilliant smile Jake flashed me as he headed towards the back of the house and his bedroom to change. It was impossible to ignore how such a one-eighty in his mood almost had me grinning back at him. _Almost_. But for the fact that I was still angry with him over causing my father undue alarm, and ripping me away from something that had set an almost eerie sensation of emptiness spiraling through my chest.

It was strange, really. Feeling like I was all alone in spite of the fact that I had just spent the better part of an hour and a half helping Sue make dinner for everyone. Cooking enough food to satisfy the appetite of not only three humans, but three wolves as well was certainly a feat I had yet to experience until now. But even cutting potatoes and peeling carrots could not remove the strange aching that was throbbing throughout my body. It was as though I was _missing _something. Or someone.

_What was going on_?

Whatever this feeling was, I knew on some level that it wasn't normal. It was the kind of emptiness that would have made more sense at a funeral, or some other tragedy that renders one lost in their search of the appropriate thing to feel. But I wasn't _at _a funeral. I had witnessed nothing save for the over-protectiveness of a friend showing concern for someone that had been like a sister to him for numerous years.

So why did I feel like my heart was being wrenched out of my chest with every passing second?

"Elena, are you _sure_ you're alright?"

It was Sue. I could feel her daughter's eyes watching me from across the kitchen counter; but I knew the person who had inquired after my well-being was not my friend and confidante among the tribe, but her mother instead. I could sense the older woman's concern as easily as if she had worn a giant placard verbalizing it for all to see. But none of that made it any easier for me to sound convincing as I forced myself to meet her gaze; my voice lacking any real conviction as I replied:

"I-of course."

Setting down the utensil that she had been using to mash the potatoes, and waving some of the steam that rose from the bowl away from her face; Sue abandoned her task in favor of stepping over to me, warm hands coming to cup my face so that it was pulled to look up at her as she shook her head.

"But you're not" She said; looking me over with intense interest as she motioned for Leah to leave the room so that we could talk in private "You're shaking."

Forcing a smile, I tried and failed to gently pull away; instead settling for being tugged into a firm embrace as I attempted to put her at ease.

"Really, Sue, I'm fine" I protested; ignoring the lurch coming from somewhere within my gut at the lie as I pressed on "I'm just tired, that's all."

"Or you're distracted by that newcomer" The older woman supplied; pulling back and giving me a knowing look that suggested she saw through my attempts at shrugging this off to what was _really _going on "He can't hurt you here."

"That's not what I'm worried about. I don't think he…I don't think he would hurt me."

I couldn't explain my conviction in that moment. My absolute certainty that, no matter what happened, Garrett would not be the one to cause me pain; physical or otherwise. It didn't make any sense, of course, seeing as I barely knew him. After all, not even a week had gone by since our first encounter. How _could _I know, for sure, of his character? In spite of all of my doubts, however, it was as though some instinctive need to prevent slander for his benefit had taken over my initial fears and hesitance. And although I did usually try to see the best in people, almost to a fault; I knew.

_This _particular instance was far different from any I had ever experienced before.

"Elena, he's not like _them_" Sue argued; bringing a hand up to cup my cheek once again, the pad of her thumb brushing against my skin "And if he showed any interest in you-"

"You should stay away from him."

I flinched, then, as the low rumble of Billy's voice from the doorway that lead from the kitchen to the tiny den reached my ears; noting how Sue's hand fell from my cheek to grasp tightly at my own as the leader of the Quileute's tribe wheeled himself over to come to a rest before us.

"He is dangerous."

"Billy, you said that about Edward, too" I managed; doing my best to crack a faint smile as I caught his frown deepening across his features "And look how that turned out."

"Edward does not drink human blood. And we still cannot be sure that he is safe for Bella."

"But-"

"You owe it to your father to keep yourself safe, Elena" Billy cut in; his eyes momentarily flicking to Jacob, Leah, and Seth as they trooped in to begin the meal "He needs you now, more than ever."

Speechless, I found that I could only nod in response; an almost overwhelming sense of guilt swooping in to mingle with the dull ache of emptiness that had plagued me ever since leaving the Cullens' home. I knew, of course, that if Billy was right and something _did _befall Bella; Charlie would be beside himself. Hell, I would be too. But even as much as I had every desire to avoid causing my father pain; it was as though an even stronger part of me was refusing to abandon Garrett, even though I couldn't possibly fathom his hold over me.

_And here, I had been the one to chastise Bella for her strange attachment to Edward, even before she really knew him._

Shaking myself just enough to join the rest of the group at Billy's small table; I did my best to force attentiveness, passing whatever was needed, and engaging in the conversation as much as I could. Clearly, to speak of the almost crippling feeling of being torn apart from the inside would only raise more concern over my well-being than I was willing to experience. And so I chose instead to act as though nothing was bothering me; ignoring Sue's almost constant expression of worry as the meal wore on into the night.

I could do this. I _had _to do this.

…

A few hours later found me in the kitchen of my own home; my fingers laced together in front of me as Charlie watched intently from over his plate of leftover pizza. We had spent our time together up until this point settling for small talk; our topics of choice ranging from the weather, to the most recent high school basketball game, to where we might go for lunch tomorrow. But now, it seemed, we were forced to acknowledge the proverbial elephant in the room. A fact evidenced by the sound of my father clearing his throat around the last piece of pizza he bit off; one eyebrow raising as he finally spoke.

"So this new fellow; G-Gavin?"

"Garrett, Dad" I corrected; a laugh of amusement slipping out in spite of my more reserved demeanor as I registered Charlie's nod before he was setting in again.

"Garrett. What's his deal?"

"He's a friend of Carlisle's" I replied; shifting minutely in my chair and crossing my legs before going on "Here for Bella and Edward's wedding."

"And is he leaving any time soon?"

The eagerness in his question caught me off guard as I found myself shaking my head; my shoulders rising and falling almost without my conscious awareness as I said:

"No idea."

"I see" Charlie grunted; taking another bite of the pizza and chewing thoroughly before swallowing and heaving a sigh of what could only be frustration "And he's interested in you?"

"What exactly _did_ Jake tell you, Dad?"

"He said this guy found you in the forest, scared the daylights out of you, and wouldn't stop looking at you as though you were something to eat."

Unable to resist the snort of exasperation as it broke free, I rolled my eyes; leaning back in the chair and making a mental note to inform Jacob of the need to stop his incessant over-exaggeration as I responded to my father's accusation.

"The first two are true, of course. Not so sure about the third."

"He looks a little _old_ for you, El."

"Dad, seriously, it's not like I'm going to start _dating _the guy!" I exclaimed; the heat almost immediately rising to my cheeks in spite of my desire to mask it. I couldn't deny the faint flutter of amusement at the thought of exactly how old Garrett truly was; and how Charlie would probably have a heart attack if he ever learned that little detail. But I was soon distracted from that brief wave of humor, the serious look on Charlie's face causing my stomach to twist a bit in apprehension as he said:

"He scared you, though."

Frowning, I reached across the table to take Charlie's hand in my own; offering a firm squeeze as I met his troubled gaze with my own.

"I'm over that now" I lied; praying with all I was worth that Charlie wouldn't see through my attempts at calming him "Honest. He caught me off guard, but now I…it's fine."

"Right, well the sooner he leaves, the better."

I couldn't ignore the sting of regret that tore through me at my father's words in that moment; the idea of never seeing the tall stranger again causing an almost unbearable pain to seize control over my body as I struggled to avoid letting it show in my features. Charlie was a cop. He would be able to read signs of my distress over a mile away. And so it was that I stood from the table in unison with him; my hand stretching out to take his empty plate as I tried to come up with any excuse to be alone with my thoughts.

"Let me take care of the dishes, Dad" I said; forcing as much evenness to my tone as I could muster "You've had a long day."

I would be a fool if I tried to deny the faint flash of concern taking over Charlie's features at my hurried injection; his eyes widening for just a moment as he realized that a girl who never once volunteered to do dishes had just done so. Whatever was going through his mind at such an unusual occurrence, though, he kept secret from me; the only indication of his unease coming in the form of his hand squeezing my shoulder for a moment, before he was trooping through the kitchen proper to the living room beyond. Heaving a sigh of relief, I quickly set about busying myself with the task I had chosen; blinking against the sting of tears that had risen, unbidden to my eyes.

_Why had I become such a wreck all of a sudden?_

…

_(Garrett's POV)_

"She's home now."

Startled back to the present almost instantaneously at those three simple words; I found myself standing from the chair by Carlisle's kitchen table, completely unabashed at the resounding scrape the legs made against the flooring as I met Alice's curious gaze.

"You can't go there, you know."

"Why not?"

"Because" Alice replied; a smile teasing the corners of her mouth as she shook her head and tried to steer me back to the table I had just left "Charlie would probably shoot you on sight right now."

"It's not like it would work" I protested; frowning as I was forced to permit her to distance me from my intent of lessening the distance between myself and my mate as much as possible.

"No, but it would probably raise some unwanted questions about _why_ you couldn't die."

Frowning as I was forced to come to terms with the fact that she was probably right, I resumed my former place at my old friend's table; my mind once again drifting to the myriad of things that could befall Elena while out of my presence. Though I had never been one for constant worrying _before _she collided with my life in all literal senses of the expression; I found that now I was seemingly never to be content unless I was permitted to watch over her myself. It was as though the universe itself were playing some kind of joke on me; throwing me in the middle of a nearly impossible situation. Tell Elena what she meant to me, and run the all too likely risk of scaring her forever. Or, don't tell her, and go on my way alone; subjecting the both of us to unimaginable pain in the process.

_I couldn't even take a minor separation from her. How was I supposed to go half a world away again?_

Almost as if to increase my internal struggle, my mind betrayed me in that moment; inevitably straying towards my fear of Caius' retribution as I ran one hand across my mouth in both frustration and resignation. Turning down their offer, or rather _his_ offer, had been almost second nature to me; the thought of aligning myself with the Volturi still causing my stomach to turn in revulsion even now. To them, I was a loose cannon; an asset to be trained, or an adversary to be eliminated. My lifestyle, much the same as the other nomads I had encountered throughout my days, irked the higher-ups in Volterra to no end; their seeming inability to control our actions serving as a proverbial thorn in their sides for longer than they would have liked. Though I had no special talents, unlike so many of Carlisle's family, for instance; I still intrigued Aro and his lot, likely due to that very lack of control and order in my life that they so abhorred while I was a free agent. At the time, rebuking the pale blonde snake of that clan had felt good. Well-deserved. Laughable, even in the face of the impending outcome of such a denial. The Volturi did not suffer rogues to live; out of fear of exposure as much as out of fear of uprising. And while my rebuttal had been obviously warranted; I couldn't help but wonder.

_Would I have made the same decision, had Elena been in my life at that time?_

When I was on my own, it had seemed almost ludicrous to fear retribution. My own potential demise seemed as nothing, knowing as I did that I would either be able to fend my punishment off; or that I would succumb to it. At the time, life or death meant little to me; my already seemingly endless years on this earth rendering me weary and almost prepared for the end. But now that I had Elena…now that I had someone to live for…to _fight _for.

It was different.

True, they could not know of our connection. Not yet. But if they were watching the Cullens as fervently as Alice said; coupled with the no doubt still ongoing search for _me_, I knew.

It was only a matter of time.

Fighting against the almost crippling sense of fear that was taking root in my very bones, combined with the emptiness that had long since made a home in my heart since Elena's departure; I tugged a hand through disheveled hair, all but jumping as I felt a firm hand on my shoulder.

"Get up. We're leaving for Charlie's soon."

"Why? What's happened?" I demanded; the thrill at the thought of seeing Elena again warring with concern that something may be amiss as I stood once again and met Emmett's gaze.

"He called for Carlisle" The burly vampire replied; his features so uncharacteristically serious in that moment that I almost could have mistaken him for another "Apparently Elena fainted while doing the dishes and ended up hitting her head on the counter. Wants him to take a look-"

Brushing past him, I made it about half-way to the foyer when I was waylaid by none other than Carlisle himself; his eyes carrying a familiar appearance of understanding as he held out a hand to stop me in my tracks.

"Easy, Garrett" He said; ignoring my all too likely look of utter shock as he persisted in barring my path "If you run the whole way there, Charlie will get suspicious."

My lips thinned into an anxious line then; the amount of effort it took to restrain myself from ignoring his warning and heading over to Elena's myself painstaking as I watched him rummage around in the cabinets nearby until he had the supplies he needed. Inasmuch as I recognized the need for patience, I also knew _exactly _what had caused this little episode; in spite of my relative lack of experience with such things. Separation from Elena, from my perspective, was painful at best; the control it was taking to withstand keeping her at my side at all times nearly impossible to ignore. But she was _human_. She wasn't built to withstand such a thing, at least for any extended period of time. If I were honest with myself, she had managed to hold out against the side effects of being parted from one's mate for longer than I had ever imagined possible. But that fact notwithstanding, her body would eventually have to compensate for such a strain. And while the instinctive response to such a thing would have been to simply seek me out, were she of our kind and aware of our connection…

It was not going to be that simple. Not for her.

…

**Hello! And welcome to yet another chapter! I must admit, this little guy is a bit of a filler, due in part to my search for a plausible way to make Elena aware of the connection between herself and Garrett. That being said, I decided to take this chapter a bit slower than the others in terms of events (at least until the tail end, lol)…so hopefully it won't end up being boring.**

**As always, I want to thank each and every one of you who has stopped by to read and review! The little messages in my inbox notifying me of comments or follows and favorites really make my day! So I encourage you…keep 'em coming!**

**That's about it from here, at least for now. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this one!**

**Until next time…**

**MJR**


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